I Think I Loved You
by Phantasmagoric
Summary: What starts as a seemingly innocent encounter along the riverbank eventually leads to a journey of discovery. The impossible is possible, and a little deja vu can be much more than it seems. Eventual Sprace


Sean Conlon sat on the edge of the riverbank every day he possibly could. He would stare blankly across the surface of the water, all the poetry of the picturesque landscape lost on him. He was magnetically drawn there, drawn to a place where artists were inspired, where lovers shared secret rendezvous, and where dreamers lost themselves to fantasy, and all he could do was question. There was something missing about this place, something that should have been there but wasn't. He had no clue as to why these thoughts wouldn't leave his mind, but they plagued him, forcing Sean to return to the water's edge as often as time would permit. And each time he returned, he continued to gaze into the murky depths of the river, somehow just knowing the action would unlock the secret to this mystery.

"What are you doing, trying to scare the fish or something?"

Sean turned abruptly at the sound, pinning the intruder with a glare. There stood a boy shorter than him, if that were possible, carrying a fishing pole in one hand and a tackle box in the other. The kid shifted his weight to one foot and waited for a response.

"Get lost."

"It's a free country, and I'm pretty sure you don't own this river," he replied while squinting, the hat perched atop his head seeming to do no favors in shielding his eyes from the harsh afternoon sun.

"Whatever," Sean muttered. He returned his sight back to the water before him and hugged his knees close to his chest.

The kid with the fishing gear didn't seem able to take a hint and decided to set up his equipment beside Sean.

"Nice weather we're having, ain't it?" An irritating grin was plastered on the kid's face, one Sean was sorely tempted to wipe off.

Sean merely harrumphed in response. He was in a particularly foul mood that day and didn't want to encourage any company. Desperately wanting privacy but not willing to give up his spot to some annoying kid, Sean decided to convince the other boy to be the one to leave.

Hands searched the ground, and Sean smirked when they found just what he was looking for. He rubbed his thumb across the smooth surface of one rock while safely nestling the others in his palm. With a concealed smirk, Sean tossed the rocks into the water, disrupting the placid surface of the river and scaring the fish away in earnest.

"What are you doing that for?" the other boy shouted, his arms flailing at his sides. He rushed over to Sean and grabbed his wrist, halting its movement.

"Don't touch me," Sean practically growled, wrenching his wrist free.

The shorter boy briefly furrowed his brows at Sean's reaction, but he made no attempt to retrieve the wrist. He turned to face the river, shielding his eyes beneath the brim of his hat with his now free hand. His eyes scanned the water and he sighed, kicking his foot into the sandy soil at the river's edge.

Sean watched out of the corner of his eye as the kid walked past him, heading toward the decaying fishing pier at his right. Not many people dared to set foot on the old, rickety thing, but it seemed that kid was going to be one of the few to travel its length. Sean's suspicion was confirmed as the other boy reached the end of the pier. To his quiet shock, the kid then began divesting most of his outer garments.

"I'll have to catch them by hand now!" the other boy called out, though strangely enough there was no frustration or anger to be heard in his voice. He took a running jump off the pier and landed in the water with an enormous splash for one so small.

It was like a flash of recognition, jarring Sean from his dazed reality. The answer to all his questions seemed to slap him in the face and stare at him, almost within his grasp for a split second before scampering off beyond his reach. It was like an intense déjà vu that left him with more questions than answers. Maybe if he went to jump off the pier too, the answer would come back… No, no he couldn't do that. Sean Conlon would never do that. He would just have to come up with some other way to make that, that _feeling_, happen again. Maybe he could push the kid off of the pier…

The object of Sean's current thoughts finally surfaced, wading in the shallow water closest to the shore. He trudged his way back to land, sloshing water as he went. "Watch it!" Sean vainly warned as he avoided getting drenched.

"Thanks to you I think all the fish within a mile of here beat it."

"And you don't think doing a cannon ball off the pier had anything to do with that?" Sean huffed.

The kid stared at him for a moment before a smirk tugged at the corner of his lips. His hand thrust out toward Sean as he said, "I'm Anthony, but most of my friends call me Tony."

Sean stared at the proffered hand as one would stare at a fish carcass turned black with buzzing flies. His eyes traveled up the attached arm to the smirking face. He narrowed his eyes before grabbing the hand in a solid shake. "Sean."

"That wasn't so hard, now, was it?" Anthony distractedly replied, shifting to find a comfortable position along the riverbank. He pillowed his head on top of folded arms and closed his eyes.

Sean absently wrinkled his nose as he watched the kid, _Anthony_, sunbathe at the water's edge. He sighed heavily stood up. Hooking his thumbs in his pockets, he began the trek home without a second glance back.

"Hey, wait up! Where are you going?"

"What's it to you?" Sean paused in his steps for a brief moment before resuming his journey.

"Just wait up, will you?" Anthony's voice was, fortunately, sounding farther away with each step he took. Sean didn't even bother to respond. By the time Anthony gathered his clothes and equipment and was ready to tag along, Sean would be too far away for it to matter.

What Sean didn't consider in his calculations was the speed at which Anthony could move when he wanted. It wasn't three minutes before a familiar face was walking beside him. Sean sighed.

His frustration got the better of him, and Sean couldn't help but blurt out, "Why are you following me?"

Anthony shrugged and responded listlessly, "Ain't got nothing better to do."

That piqued Sean's curiosity, but he wasn't willing to question the boy and thereby encourage him. They continued in silence, walking along the dirt road which ran parallel to the river. And if there was one thing Anthony couldn't stand, it was silence, or at least that's what Sean suspected.

"Most of my friends are off at this summer camp and won't be back until a week before school starts."

"I see."

"So I've been dying for some company, or at least some company I can stand."

"So, what you mean is, you've decided to bother me."

"Yeah, basically."

Sean grunted disdainfully, and Anthony sighed in frustration.

"Jeez, sorry, I'll get going then," Anthony muttered, irritation lacing his words. He picked up his pace and pulled away from Sean.

For some reason Sean couldn't quite put a finger on, that really irked him; he didn't say Anthony could go. Panting with exertion, Sean caught up to Anthony. He glared balefully at the other boy. "How old are you anyway?"

Confusion clearly written upon his countenance, Anthony hesitantly replied, "Eighteen. You?"

"Fifteen, turning sixteen next weekend." Sean didn't let his surprise show on his face, but he was damn shocked to learn Anthony was older than him.

With a quirked brow and a smile Anthony replied, "Shrimp."

Sean bristled at the comment and responded, "Look who's talking. How come I haven't seen you around before?"

"That's probably because I haven't been around here before." At Sean's questioning sideways glance, Anthony continued, "I'm from the next district over. Heard there was good fishing on this side of the river and decided to come."

Sean wordlessly nodded, and the two continued their trek in silence. Sean didn't mind the silence at all, in fact he reveled in it, but Anthony, however, must have viewed silence as the most horrible thing on the planet. "How much further?"

Sean huffed and secretly rolled his eyes before jutting his chin in the direction of the next intersection. "That's my turn."

Anthony's eyes followed Sean's gesture and he bit the side of his lip in seeming agitation. "You got any plans for the rest of the day?"

Sean was sorely tempted to reply with some witty, scathing remark, but he felt completely drained of the energy to do so. "We ain't friends or nothing, _Tony_," he scoffed.

The other boy rolled his eyes in exaggerated frustration, "I didn't say we were, pipsqueak. I just figured since I have nothin' to do and you obviously must not have any friends, maybe we could come up with something _mutually beneficial_."

Sean paused for a moment and the side of his lips began to pull back into what suspiciously resembled a smirk. "You have no idea what that means, do you?" A moment of silence ensued before Sean indignantly continued, "And what do you mean about me not having friends?"

Anthony laughed heartily, clapping Sean on the back. Sean flinched away from the contact, but that did not wipe the smile from Anthony's lips. "I do _so_ know what it means and as for you not having friends … you're just too grumpy."

Seam harrumphed and Anthony continued to smile, though this time in silent victory. Not only was Sean talking to him, but he also missed his turn…


End file.
